Certainly some gloom and doom is warranted at this point but I think it has been a bit overdone. The lions really beat up on the rams, as they should have, outside of Stafford's terrible day. The Lions hung with the 49ers despite a several glaring issues. We would have put the Titans and Vikings away if not for special teams. This is not the end of the world and the NFC North is appearing much weaker than originally believed.

Just the Packers

_________________Just one Super Bowl win before I go!

October 11th, 2012, 1:19 pm

m2karateman

RIP Killer

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10408Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Make or break..

My lord people. Stop with the excuses, and stop with the "..we could be 4-0 if...." garbage.

This team is 1-3 because they DESERVE to be 1-3. In my eyes, they are lucky they even got a win.

What if scenarios are pointless arguments to make. Through what ifs our 0-16 team could have gone 16-0. Last season, "what if" we don't get those come from behind wins? "What if" Chicago doesn't lose Forte and Cutler? That team could have easily been a five or six win team without the comebacks. They would have missed the playoffs if the Bears hadn't lost their players to injury.

Football involves three aspects to the game, and all three have to work to be successful. Whether it's offense, defense or special teams that have the breakdown, we've seen the results. NOBODY, and I mean nobody, on this entire franchise is doing well so far. Not Stafford, not Calvin, not Suh, Schwartz, Linehan or anyone else. I noticed in the first game that the team lacked passion, and they were playing like they didn't want to be there. They can't continue to rely on last minute heroics to win games. If they don't pull themselves out of this funk, they will lose many more games. And all the "what ifs" in the world won't change that.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

You erase other team's mistakes against us, and we're out of the playoffs last season ...

The "other than [X] we would have won" argument is being overdone here - [X] is part of the game of football and if we have a team that can't do [X] and we lose because of it, we have a team that deserves to lose.

I can see some of the argument:

1. where [X] is Matthew Stafford having a bad game, you can have a reasonable expectation it can improve this season - given his past form;

2. where [X] is historically atrocious special teams performance, you can have a reasonable expectation it can improve this season - albeit only perhaps to merely atrocious ST performance.

But that's all it is at this stage: hope things can get better. What happened happened, those games are on the books and rightfully so. It's hope until the Lions start to show us they can do something. This teams' history is not nearly strong enough to show me "this is almost certainly an aberration, it will get better". If anything, this team's history says "maybe last year was an aberration".

Boy do we need a W this weekend.

October 12th, 2012, 7:45 am

LionsAllDay

National Champion

Joined: July 3rd, 2012, 2:06 amPosts: 885

Re: Make or break..

Interesting stat I just found; we're 10-0 when Stafford ha a passer rating of 105 or better. Hopefully he can do that this Sunday.

_________________

October 12th, 2012, 7:51 am

I.E.

Walk On

Joined: September 11th, 2010, 10:19 pmPosts: 408

Re: Make or break..

Shotty wrote:

Interesting stat I just found; we're 10-0 when Stafford ha a passer rating of 105 or better. Hopefully he can do that this Sunday.

The only way that is going to happen, is if the Lions run 35-40 times, and force Philly to keep a safety up in the box ... freeing up bigger - although fewer - passing plays. Against weak running teams like the Lions, expect a heavy dose of zone coverage and few big passing plays. You have to seriously challenge & start beating that 7 man front first & foremost.

Quote:

Lions getting zoned-out by opposing defenses

The Sports Xchange

NFL Team Report - Detroit Lions - INSIDE SLANT

When the Lions' explosive offense took the NFL by storm last season, they did it by using a stable full of speedy receivers that was able to exploit the man-to-man coverage they faced while defenses blitzed quarterback Matthew Stafford.

This season, Lions' opponents have learned from their mistakes.

After St Louis nearly pulled off an upset win at Ford Field in Week 1 using a cover-two defensive scheme, the San Francisco 49ers showed a Week 2 Sunday Night Football audience that teams didn't need to blitz Stafford to limit the Lions' offense. They held Detroit without a gain longer than 30 yards, forcing Stafford into poor throws while he tried to find nonexistent coverage gaps in the 49ers' zone defense.

All of Detroit's first four opponents have taken a page from the Rams' playbook. According to the Lions' team website, Detroit's receivers have seen man-to-man coverage on just five of 296 total snaps this season. WR Nate Burleson says he's hoping that percentage will change against the Eagles in Week 6.

"When we're watching film, we see DB's getting up, and they're playing 1-on-1," he said. 'They're jamming guys with a single safety. I'm like; 'give us that (coverage)!' I'm thinking Philly might do it. They have good cornerbacks, and they play (man-to-man) a lot. I'm curious to see if they're actually going to pull (playing man-to-man against Detroit) off."

Burleson's wish may be difficult to grant, since it's unlikely that the Eagles will ignore the fact that Detroit has struggled against zone coverage. QB Matthew Stafford says the biggest key to forcing teams out of their passive defensive sets is to maintain a more balanced offense, and score touchdowns by any means necessary.

"We've got to be able to run the ball well enough and throw the short, intermediate passes well enough to force defenses to come out of (zone coverage), " Stafford said. "If they don't want to come out of (zone coverage), we just have to put the ball in the end zone. That's the biggest (key)."

Stafford's assertion that the Lions need a more balanced attack explains Detroit's concerted effort to involve RB Mikel Leshoure in the offense as much as possible. Leshoure has 39 carries through two games. That total represents almost a 20 percent increase over the amount of rushing plays Detroit ran on average during the same time frame last season. The increased workload hasn't paid dividends, however, since the rushing game hasn't yet been consistent enough to be considered a viable threat.

Burleson says the biggest impact of zone defense on Detroit's offensive plans has been the elimination of the yards after the catch that was a hallmark of the Lions' attack a season ago. "I can't tell you the last time I caught -- and then ran with -- the ball," he said. "There's usually a linebacker on the side, a safety up top, and there's a nickel DB in coverage around receivers." So they're baiting you to hook up in that zone, and they're going to converge on you. They're not going to let you work."

October 12th, 2012, 8:17 am

kdsberman

League MVP

Joined: February 20th, 2007, 10:51 pmPosts: 3527Location: Saginaw, MI

Re: Make or break..

I.E. wrote:

The only way that is going to happen, is if the Lions run 35-40 times, and force Philly to keep a safety up in the box ... freeing up bigger - although fewer - passing plays. Against weak running teams like the Lions, expect a heavy dose of zone coverage and few big passing plays. You have to seriously challenge & start beating that 7 man front first & foremost.

The problem I see is that it doesnt matter how many times we run the ball that will bring their safety up, its if we can effectively run it, which I dont see us doing, especially against a strong run defense like the Eagles. I think if the passing game is going to be good on Sunday, the WRs and TE's are gonna have to step it up and beat the opposing secondary with the talent they are supposed to have.

October 12th, 2012, 10:16 am

m2karateman

RIP Killer

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10408Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Make or break..

kdsberman wrote:

I.E. wrote:

The only way that is going to happen, is if the Lions run 35-40 times, and force Philly to keep a safety up in the box ... freeing up bigger - although fewer - passing plays. Against weak running teams like the Lions, expect a heavy dose of zone coverage and few big passing plays. You have to seriously challenge & start beating that 7 man front first & foremost.

The problem I see is that it doesnt matter how many times we run the ball that will bring their safety up, its if we can effectively run it, which I dont see us doing, especially against a strong run defense like the Eagles. I think if the passing game is going to be good on Sunday, the WRs and TE's are gonna have to step it up and beat the opposing secondary with the talent they are supposed to have.

I'm of the opinion that for the Lions to win on Sunday, it will be in the hands of the defense. Shut down Vick, and the game can be had. If they don't shut down Vick, it won't matter. The Eagles will simply score at will.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

October 12th, 2012, 10:36 am

regularjoe12

Off. Coordinator – Jim Bob Cooter

Joined: March 30th, 2006, 12:48 amPosts: 4194Location: Davison Mi

Re: Make or break..

m2karateman wrote:

kdsberman wrote:

I.E. wrote:

The only way that is going to happen, is if the Lions run 35-40 times, and force Philly to keep a safety up in the box ... freeing up bigger - although fewer - passing plays. Against weak running teams like the Lions, expect a heavy dose of zone coverage and few big passing plays. You have to seriously challenge & start beating that 7 man front first & foremost.

The problem I see is that it doesnt matter how many times we run the ball that will bring their safety up, its if we can effectively run it, which I dont see us doing, especially against a strong run defense like the Eagles. I think if the passing game is going to be good on Sunday, the WRs and TE's are gonna have to step it up and beat the opposing secondary with the talent they are supposed to have.

I'm of the opinion that for the Lions to win on Sunday, it will be in the hands of the defense. Shut down Vick, and the game can be had. If they don't shut down Vick, it won't matter. The Eagles will simply score at will.

Hate to say this, but we can shut vick down all day...If we can't stop Jackson on Special teams we're boned...

_________________2013 Lionbacker Fantasy Football Champion

October 12th, 2012, 10:50 am

I.E.

Walk On

Joined: September 11th, 2010, 10:19 pmPosts: 408

Re: Make or break..

kdsberman wrote:

I.E. wrote:

The only way that is going to happen, is if the Lions run 35-40 times, and force Philly to keep a safety up in the box ... freeing up bigger - although fewer - passing plays. Against weak running teams like the Lions, expect a heavy dose of zone coverage and few big passing plays. You have to seriously challenge & start beating that 7 man front first & foremost.

The problem I see is that it doesnt matter how many times we run the ball that will bring their safety up, its if we can effectively run it, which I dont see us doing, especially against a strong run defense like the Eagles. I think if the passing game is going to be good on Sunday, the WRs and TE's are gonna have to step it up and beat the opposing secondary with the talent they are supposed to have.

Oh - I agree man. By mentioning the number of runs I meant to demonstrate a commitment to the run. If they demonstrate the commitment, I believe Leshore will break out a bit & Philly will have to keep honest in their coverage.

Of course how the D and ST play matters ... but there's no evidence that the Lions D can hold the Eggles to a low-scoring game. They've been held to lower scoring than many would expect by some other teams - but do you think the Lions D so far implies that the Lions will be able to continue keeping the Eagles from scoring? I don't know the answer to that.

October 12th, 2012, 2:47 pm

kdsberman

League MVP

Joined: February 20th, 2007, 10:51 pmPosts: 3527Location: Saginaw, MI

Re: Make or break..

I.E. wrote:

but do you think the Lions D so far implies that the Lions will be able to continue keeping the Eagles from scoring? I don't know the answer to that.

Lol i dont know the answer to anything at this point, except for the obvious stuff (playcalling, ST sucking, Harbaugh being a tool..etc)

October 12th, 2012, 4:02 pm

MrWizard

Water Boy

Joined: October 12th, 2012, 10:15 pmPosts: 5

Re: Make or break..

I believe this bye week has set us up for a huge day in PHI. Not only are we going up against a turnover machine, we have major bulletin board material from an anonymous bum. This is the perfect opportunity to set the tone for the remainder of the season.

Looks like we are +3.5 in Vegas. I'd take that all the way to the bank.